This invention pertains to a training mask capable of simulating the increased inhalation difficulty at higher altitudes and improving the wearer's physical conditioning after prolonged use. The invention allows wearers to perform interval training by adding infinitely adjustable resistance to the breathing process simultaneously.
Altitude training is the practice by some athletes of training for several weeks at high altitude. Altitude training works because of the difference in atmospheric pressure between sea level and high altitude. At sea level, air is denser and there are more molecules of gas per liter of air. Regardless of altitude, air is composed of 21% oxygen and 78% nitrogen. As the altitude increases, the pressure exerted by these gases decreases, making it more difficult to breathe as more effort is required for the breathing musculatures to achieve the needed oxygen intake, this causes a variety of physiological changes in the body that occur at high altitude, and some of these physiological adaptations are responsible for performance gains achieved from altitude training. The performance gains that altitude training may have on the body include increased endurance, reduced recovery time, weight loss, increase in HGH (Human Growth Hormones) and red blood cells.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a device that will simulate high altitude conditions such that a wearer can experience increased breathing difficulty levels during interval trainings. By using the device, pulling air into the lungs becomes more difficult requiring deeper and more forceful breathing, which trains the respiratory muscles from the diaphragm to the intercostals, allowing the athlete to target a critical performance area. Although devices for simulating higher altitude conditions have been patented and marketed, it is desirable to have an economical device which can be easily worn by a wearer and allow for seamless simultaneously breathing difficulty adjustments, and the ability to consume foods or beverages conveniently, while the wearer engages in various physical activities such as weight training and aerobic exercises.
There are several respiratory training apparatuses available in the marketplace today. Their core designs range from blow tubes and fibrous filter-based air channels, to air admittance valves. However, these options are considered to be inconvenient and cumbersome to use in one way or another. These designs have all or some of the following drawbacks:
1. Unable to infinitely and seamlessly adjust to wearer's gradually changing physical conditioning due to having preset resistance level mechanisms;
2. Adjusting the breathing resistance level is too difficult and involves a learning curve and changing/adjusting multiple parts;
3. Requiring the wearer to frequently remove the apparatus if and when hydration is needed. Ideally, a good respiratory training apparatus should be able to seamlessly adapt to the wearer's conditioning simultaneously without involving complicated operations, and allow convenient and proper amount of hydration without removal or breaking a training session.
Illustrative of respiratory training apparatus include U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,067,086 B2, 5,848,589 A, 6,554,746B1, 4,973,047, 4,221,381 and 4,739,987.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,067,086 B2 discloses a wearable training mask providing varied presets of inhalation resistance settings by incorporating air admittance valve subassemblies into the mask body. U.S. Pat. No. 5,848,589 A discloses a training mask with a valve-controlled air channel including a plurality of fibrous filters releasably engaged within which reduce the oxygen density as ambient air draw through the air channel, replicating the decrease in oxygen at higher altitudes and requiring the wearer to increase the breathing effort; the exhaled air is discharged through a valve controlled exhaust ports upon exhalation. U.S. Pat. No. 6,554,746B1 discloses an inspiratory training device including an inhale/exhale chamber with an opening, an inlet connected to the chamber, a one-way exhaust valve for the discharge of exhaled air, and another valve capable of varying the degree of resistance depending upon the volume of air that has passed through the inlet into the chamber. U.S. Pat. No. 4,973,047 discloses a device for exercising and stimulating the lung including a mouthpiece for exhalation connected to a cylindrical hollow tube with openings, and the tube communicates with the surrounding atmosphere through an adjustable cap serving as a valve by covering its openings, this enables the device to be adjustable to preset exhalation resistance levels. U.S. Pat. No. 4,221,381 discloses a respiratory exerciser which includes a hollow tubular body having multiple openings and an adjustment structure with size indicators at one end of the tube, a mouthpiece removably connected to the other end, and a piston is reciprocally slidable in the tube such that when the wearer inhales and exhales the piston will reciprocate accordingly. The adjustment structure regulates the size of the tubular body's openings to achieve various preset breathing resistance levels. U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,987 discloses a respiratory exerciser having a hollow body with three openings. The top opening is for the wearer to breathe, while the other two side openings regulate the inhalation and exhalation resistance by using apertures and two rotatable caps with aperture holes. By rotating the caps with aperture holes and align with the apertures on the side openings, preset breathing resistance levels can be achieved.
In comparison, the training mask described herein has an infinitely adjustable inhalation resistance assembly extended through the mask body which allows seamless inhalation resistance adjustments, a flexible one-way check valve controlled exhalation channel, a replaceable particulate air filter, and a drinking device for hydration and consumption of foods without inconveniencing the wearer to remove the mask. None of the existing patents or marketed products today has addressed the above needs, which are the core focuses of the invention.